My personal challenge last night was to come up with an Asian dessert that could pass as having a Halloween theme. I ended up with this green-colored seven layer pandan cake...
As with my bibim bap, this was my second attempt after failing miserably the first time around. This cake is also a little laborious... each layer of the cake is steamed independently by adding a layer at a time. It requires at least 70 minutes of standing attentively at the stovetop. Another challenge for me was trying to cut it neatly into squares, being so terribly sticky and gelatinous. I ended up heating the knife under hot water prior to each pass and this seemed to work decently, but I was left wondering if there isn't a better way of going about it.
This cake is a mixture of tapioca flour, coconut milk, mung beans, pandan concentrate, and a little green food coloring. I believe it is common to a lot of countries in the Asian region -- what's it called in your language?
1. Mix 3 c. tapioca/casava flour, 1 2/3 c. sugar, 3 1/4 c. coconut milk, and 1/2 tsp salt until it becomes a smooth paste. Divide in two.
2. To one batch of the mixture, add 1/4 tsp pandan flavor and green food coloring. To the white batch, add 1/4 c. steamed, peeled, and mashed mung beans.
3. Divide green batch into four equal portions. Divide white batch into three equal portions.
4. Boil water in large pot for steaming. Place a second pan inside pot atop boiling water. Add first green layer to pan and steam for 10 mins. Add first white layer and steam for 10 mins, etc until all seven layers are done. After steaming, let cool, pry loose and cut into portions.
Comments
It's called "JiuChen Gao" as in mandarin (Nine Layered Kuih)or in Bahasa Malaysia - Kuih Lapis (Lapis = Layered). BTW nice blog ^_^
Posted by: Christine Ling | March 15, 2006 08:21 PM
Thanks Christine! It's really a fun hobby and I love sharing it with everybody and learning from everybody's comments.
Posted by: Evil Jonny | March 16, 2006 07:48 AM
It is Sapin-sapin in the Philippines; made of rice flour, sugar, coconut milk. Ube or purple yam is a base layer, a layer may be flavored by Pandan, other layers may be colored Red, Yellow, or not at all(White).
It is served with roasted grated coconut and latik.
(residue from coconut oil extraction).
Recipe may be found in: http://www.philrice.gov.ph/prorice/food/cakes.htm#a11
Market Manila has a post with interesting comments.
http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/julings-cuchinta-atbp.
Great blog! Found you thru Eating Asia, another good one. Thanks for sharing, you both.
Posted by: Guia | March 18, 2006 07:28 PM
I am an asian and enjoy asian desserts very much, came across the pandan seven layer cake, can you please send me this recipe.
I really appreciated,
Thanks,
Doris
Posted by: Doris Tan | March 21, 2006 09:13 PM
I have eaten this seven layer pandan cake at a vietnamese ,it was very delicious ,and I have looked for this recipe,unable to find one till I found this webpage,has the ingredients, but no measurements,so Jungle Prince, can you kindly send me the recipe,thanks...
Posted by: Jade | March 22, 2006 08:33 PM
Doris, Jade: neither of you sent me your email address. In any case, I have posted the recipe. Let me know how yours turns out.
Posted by: Evil Jonny | March 22, 2006 08:58 PM
I love this cake! I have not tried to make it, but I will. I know a lady who makes it and when she went to cut it, she wrapped her knife in saran wrap and it worked really well.
Posted by: Jennie | July 28, 2006 11:49 AM
Maybe you should try what we call in french "fil a couper le beurre" wich I would loosely translate a butter-cutting thread, it's like a very thin saw that look like a thread, it could largely simplify the process of cutting through sticky material
Posted by: diane | August 29, 2006 09:05 AM